To turn your kitchen into a dream space, have a vision to lay the road map for designers to get you there. File

When Joanne Clowse was ready for a home renovation project, she first thought she had it under control.

“My dad was an electrician and a mechanic from the U.K.,” she said. “So I was used to being around the business.”

But she quickly discovered the business is quite different in the U.S. than the United Kingdom, and she admitted she was in over her head when she wanted to install all new features, from tub to cabinets, in her master bathroom, even with her extensive immersion in the industry.

So, she turned to Issaquah kitchen designer Carole Porter, whose business Kitchen Arts has been helping homeowners in kitchen and bath redesigns since 2000. Read more

The Liberty High School Patriots finished third in the 3A KingCo Conference Tournament Feb. 6 with a score of 148 points. In first and second place were Mercer Island and Bellevue, with scores of 202 and 157, respectively.

Four Liberty wrestlers won first place in their weight classes. Wright Noel took first in the 140-pound weight class; Hamilton Noel took first in the 145-pound weight class; Jay Chakravarty took first in the 160-pound weight class; and Brandon Studer took first in the 215-pound weight class.

Danny Velasquez took second in the 112-pound weight class; Nick Bezanson took third in the 189-pound weight class; Chris Harlin took third in the 215-pound weight class; and Jake Tierney took fourth in the 152-pound weight class. Read more

The Issaquah School District is one step closer to having a new high school math curriculum after the decision was delayed by a year.

District teachers and math specialists from the Teacher Adoption Committee presented their recommendation of Discovering Mathematics, by Key Curriculum Press, to the Instructional Materials Committee Jan. 28.

Members of the Instructional Materials Committee will review the textbook recommendation process to ensure it adhered to the district’s goals and philosophy, and will evaluate the textbooks for bias and discrimination. The committee is a requirement under state law.

Committee members are expected to make their recommendation in a meeting before the public Feb 11. The board is not scheduled to take action before the end of March.

The decision comes after a group of Seattle parents and math experts won a ruling Feb. 4 from King County Superior Court against Seattle Public Schools for adopting Discovering Mathematics.

“The Seattle case is nonbinding on any other jurisdiction, and any similar case would be evaluated by a judge on a new and specific fact pattern,” Sara Niegowski, district communications director wrote in an e-mail. “However, we are certainly aware of the Seattle case and want to make sure we proceed with as much information as possible. Our legal counsel is currently evaluating the case and will report back with more information this week.”

A group called Save the Math In Issaquah has formed and scheduled a meeting at the Issaquah Library to rally against the potential adoption of Discovering Mathematics here.

“We believe that inquiry-based instructional materials are inferior to mastery-based materials and there is pretty compelling data to support that,” said Mark Van Horne, founder of Save Math In Issaquah. “In addition, the state Superintendent of Public Instruction only recommends the mastery-based Holt series and third, the decision from King County Superior Court said ‘there is insufficient evidence for any reasonable board member to approve the selection of the Discovering Series.’

“A court of law has now said that no reasonable board member could approve it, so we wonder why Issaquah could possibly do it now.”

The group’s March meeting will focus on raising awareness among parents and students about the math curriculum adoption and get the community involved in the selection process.

District officials delayed adopting a new math curriculum last July in effort to gather more community input and new information from state officials who have been vague about their recommendations for high school math curricula.

A new curriculum is necessary because College Prep Mathematics no longer meets many of the new state requirements.

Since the beginning of the school year, district officials have asked parents and students to fill out surveys regarding mathematics expectations in the district, have held parent meetings about Discovering Mathematics and teachers have given their reasoning about selecting it over Holt Mathematics.

During those meetings, teachers and district officials said Discovering Mathematics aligned most with the state’s new math standards, had a blend of exploratory and teacher-driven learning, and has example formulas and drills for students. It also has a robust outline for teachers to follow, ensuring equal experiences among classes and high schools.

Van Horne said he recognizes the value of public meetings to get feedback from the community, but what he would have like to have seen done for the math adoption — and any future technical curriculum adoptions — is a chance for working professionals to develop curriculum recommendations with teachers, so students’ needs can be met in the classroom and when they arrive to the workforce.

Learn more

Go to www.issaquah.wednet.edu. Click on “High school math curriculum adoption.”

Next steps

-Feb. 11: Committee discussion and vote at 4 p.m. at the administration building, 565 N.W. Holly St. If materials are recommended, they will go on display for at least two weeks.

While many people were preparing for the Super Bowl, hundreds of athletes from around King County gathered at the Issaquah Community Center to compete in the 2010 Special Olympics Regional Basketball Tournament. Read more

On Jan. 29, Issaquah Press reporters Warren Kagarise and Chantelle Lusebrink spent the night at Tent City 4 behind Community Church of Issaquah.

The evening was, for me, a kind of dream come true. I wanted a reporter to spend the night at Tent City the first time it came to town in 2007. For various reasons, that didn’t happen.

I knew then, as I knew this time around, that people who heard about such places likely didn’t have a clue as to what happens there, why people are there and why it matters that others do what they can to help take care of their fellow man who has fallen down on his or her luck. Read more

City officials will launch a search for a new clerk after Deputy City Clerk Randy Reed steps down within the next few weeks.

Reed accepted the city clerk post in Sedona, Ariz., and will start there in early March. Meanwhile, Issaquah officials will put out a call for candidates.

Mayor Ava Frisinger said the city is almost certain to fill the position due to the workload handled by the clerk and the deputy. The weak economy and budget constraints have limited hiring for municipal positions for more than a year. Read more

Senate Bill 5295, which passed the Senate 47-0, would implement the unanimous recommendations of the Public Records Exemptions Accountability Committee, also known as the Sunshine Committee. It passed the Senate in the 2009 legislative session, but was not acted upon by the House. It’s now before the House State Government & Tribal Affairs Committee. Read more